positive news

positive news
China warms to emissions goals - Trading Markets China is expected to express support for Japan's sector-by-sector approach to setting goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a senior Foreign Ministry official. The announcement, to be made in a joint statement on environmental issues Tokyo and Beijing are working on, is likely to follow the bilateral summit Wednesday between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Tokyo. If the two leaders agree to issue the statement, it will mark a significant policy shift for China in taking a positive stance toward international efforts to reduce global warming emissions, said the official, on condition of anonymity.	4th May 2008
Algae May Solve Ethanol vs. Gas Dilemma - AnandTech Gas costs are soaring, but adopting cheaper ethanol is sending food costs into the stratosphere as well. What is the answer to this troubling predicament? Some say the solution is old -- very old. There is growing hope that one of the planet's most ancient organisms, algae, can be used to produce economically viable biofuel without the negative societal impact of ethanol.	3rd May 2008
Ethical bank offers wind of change for green consumers - Guardian Unlimited Energy: £8.5m public share issue will fund alternative power sources around the UK. Rupert Jones reports	3rd May 2008
High petrol prices see Americans ditch SUVs - The Independent America's love affair with sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-up trucks is finally over.	3rd May 2008
Block by Block, Communities Fight Global Warming - Washington Post SEATTLE -- King County Executive Ron Sims has a simple test for every new public works project, building plan or government land purchase: Will it increase the region's total greenhouse-gas emissions, or reduce them?	3rd May 2008
U.S. to support some solar power research - PhysOrg The U.S. Department of Energy says it will fund up to $60 million to support development of low-cost concentrating solar power, or CSP, technology.	2nd May 2008
Rockefeller's descendants tell Exxon to face the reality of climate change - The Independent Descendants of John D Rockefeller, America's first and biggest oil industry magnate, say that ExxonMobil, a company spawned from his 19th-century monopoly Standard Oil, faces becoming obsolete if it does not step up the search for alternative fuels.	1st May 2008
ITV survey reveals public fears over climate change - Easier UK: A recent survey commissioned by ITV1 to support the transmission of Flood this weekend has found that over two-thirds of those surveyed (71%) feel that global warming is having an effect on weather conditions in the UK, with almost half (44%) believing that climate change poses a direct threat or risk to their lifestyle or home.	1st May 2008
Two-Thirds of Americans Want Next President to Act on Climate Change - Earthtimes A new poll released today shows that two-thirds of all U.S. adults (66%) believe it is important that the next president of the United States have a policy which addresses climate change. Almost half, or 44%, believe it is extremely or very important, and only 14% believe it is not at all important. A significant majority of Americans -- sixty-three percent (63%) of U.S. adults -- say it is important that the new president, soon after taking office, initiates strong action to address global warming/climate change.	1st May 2008
Wave power firm eyes £10m prize - BBC News A renewable energy company is to double its workforce, partly in a bid to secure a government award.	1st May 2008
Burying trees to fight climate change - New Scientist It sounds like a long shot, but Zeng is convinced it could work. In a recent paper in the journal Carbon Balance and Management (vol 3, p 1), he calculated that if we buried half of the wood that grows each year, in such a way that it didn't decay, enough CO2 would be removed from the atmosphere to offset all of our fossil-fuel emissions. It wouldn't be easy, but Zeng believes it could be done. Zeng's is not the only proposal of its kind. Other researchers are totting up the amount of carbon that could be sequestered in various kinds of biomass and are finding that it is a surprisingly large amount. Not enough to halt climate change on its own, perhaps, but enough to make a sizeable dent in atmospheric carbon and to buy us the time we need to sort out the mess we've made.	1st May 2008
Terra Preta, Biochar, Black Gold: a Climate Change Solution - DeSmogBlog It's no silver bullet, but Terra Preta de Indio, a centuries-old agricultural-waste management and fertilization practice, may provide part of the solution to global warming - and to the gathering world food shortage.Terra Preta is a literal description of the "dark earth" that European explorers first discovered in the Amazon basin, earth that researchers now believe was enriched with charred agricultural waste. Preparing and mixing this biochar into the earth is a great way to sequester carbon AND to fertilize crops. There are a host of challenges - a large number of hurdles to clear before biochar can be guaranteed as a useful solution to climate change - but when asked if it's a possible goal, Cornell University Assoc.	30th April 2008
StatoilHydro Storing 10 Million Tonnes of CO2 - Rigzone StatoilHydro reported that ten million tonnes of carbon dioxide are now stored underground at Sleipner in the North Sea. 2,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) are removed from natural gas produced on the Sleipner West field in the North Sea every day.	30th April 2008
Real Solutions to the Climate Crisis - AlterNet A look at climate-friendly options for buildings, electricity production, transportation, and food and forestry.	29th April 2008
Breakthrough in battle to curb greenhouse gases - New Kerala London, April 27 : A team of scientists has developed a highly energy-efficient method of converting waste carbon dioxide into chemical compounds, marking a breakthrough in the fight to cut greenhouse gases.	28th April 2008
Zeppelins: a low-impact alternative to flying - The Christian Science Monitor These airships cause less environmental damage than planes. But journeys would test passengers' patience.	28th April 2008
Easing greenhouse gas emissions won't crimp the economy, study says - The Kansas City Star WASHINGTON \| Legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions won't send utility costs or unemployment through the roof, nor will it damage the economy, according to a study released last week.	28th April 2008
Americans See Global Warming as Serious Problem - Angus Reid Global Monitor Many adults in the United States are concerned about climate change, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 47 per cent of respondents think global warming is a very serious problem, while 26 per cent deem it as somewhat serious.	12th April 2008
May the truth force be with you - Gristmill By Guest authorThis is a guest post from Jonathan F. P. Rose, co-founder of the Garrison Institute, presenting a public forum on "Satyagraha: Gandhi's Truth Force in the Age of Climate Change" April 13 at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City. ----- In recent days, we commemorated the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., who died 40 years ago this month. And some have also recalled that King was influenced by Gandhi, learning from Gandhi's Satyagraha or "truth force" movement the nonviolent tactics that ultimately made the civil rights movement a success.	12th April 2008
Plant a Garden, Get a Tax Break? - Alternet We give tax breaks to encourage people to put solar panels on their roofs, so why not offer incentives for healthy food production in their backyards? See also: The solution beneath our feet	12th April 2008
The future of solar-powered houses is clear - PhysOrg The future of solar-powered houses is clear. People could live in glass houses and look at the world through rose-tinted windows while reducing their carbon emissions by 50 percent thanks to QUT Institute of Sustainable Resources research.	11th April 2006
The technologies needed to beat 450 ppm, Part 1 - GristMill By Joseph RommIn 2007, the IPCC wrote [PDF] in its Working Group III summary (page 16): The range of stabilization levels assessed can be achieved by deployment of a portfolio of technologies that are currently available and those that are expected to be commercialised in coming decades. This assumes that appropriate and effective incentives are in place for development, acquisition, deployment and diffusion of technologies, and for addressing related barriers (high agreement, much evidence). This range of levels includes reaching atmospheric concentrations of 445 to 490 ppm CO2-equivalent, or 400 to 450 ppm of CO2.	11th April 2006
Low-carbon Living Takes Off In The US - Science Daily Co-housing offers a low-carbon lifestyle, and developers are poised for a market that could soon burgeon in the US, according to a new study. Cohousing in the US typically comprises private living units (houses or flats) with shared spaces such as a gym, office space, workshops, laundry facilities and a cafe. Those living in cohousing consume nearly 60 per cent less energy in the home, and operate car-sharing and recycling schemes that greatly reduce the pollution from travel and landfill.	11th April 2006
Most Canadians think Earth Hour should happen more often: poll - CNews OTTAWA - A new survey suggests most Canadians think Earth Hour should happen more often. In fact, the Harris-Decima poll suggests more than a third of Canadians wouldn't mind flicking off their lights and appliances for an hour as often as once a month.	10th April 2008
Companies will have to tell all on carbon emissions - Independent All quoted companies will be forced to detail carbon emissions in their annual reports after the Government caved in to backbench pressure.	6th April 2008
CLIMATE CHANGE: New Value For Old Forests SYDNEY, Apr 4 (IPS) - Newly sensitised to the dangers of climate change, researchers around the world are making progress in helping to protect old growth forests that are threatened by fires, urban development and logging.	5th April 2008
An inspirational kickoff from David Suzuki - DeSmogBlog A room, bursting with 250 Inconvenient Truth trainees gathered in Montreal Friday afternoon for the opening of the first Canadian (and the first bilingual) Al Gore Bootcamp. And if they weren't already excited by the prospect – and convinced of the necessity – of learning how to engage Canadians in a climate change conversation (and plainly there were), David Suzuki would have made all the difference. Suzuki could fairly be characterized as the Al Gore of Canada, where climate change is concerned. His organization, the David Suzuki Foundation, has been actively engaged in lobbying for action for more than a decade.	5th April 2008
ENVIRONMENT: Major Climate Campaign Hits U.S. Airwaves WASHINGTON, Apr 2 (IPS) - Building on his Oscar for the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and his 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore Wednesday launched a 300-million-dollar media campaign to mobilise the public for concrete action to reduce global warming.	3rd April 2008
US states take agency to court over emissions standards - Guardian Unlimited A group of states are attempting to force the Environmental Protection Agency to comply with a Supreme Court ruling	3rd April 2008
Green Scotland 'can power whole of UK' - Scotsman Green Scotland 'can power whole of UK'Scotsman, United Kingdom. By HAMISH MACDONELL SCOTLAND could become the global leader in the fight against climate change by producing ten times as much electricity from renewables ...	3rd April 2008
After Earth Hour - Toronto Star For one hour on Saturday evening, Torontonians turned their lights off and cut their power consumption by almost 9 per cent from the average over the past three years. Symbolic though it was, Earth Hour demonstrated the level of concern in this city over climate change as well as a willingness by residents to start changing their behaviour when it comes to the overuse of fossil fuel.	2nd April 2008
Wartime lessons for the credit crunch - BBC News Things might not get that bad, but the credit crunch is forcing many to economise. So what can we learn - apart from the recipe for home-made margarine - from the diaries of people who lived through the austerity of World War II?	31st March 2008
Gore unveils $300m advertising blitz to force climate debate - Guardian Unlimited Nobel laureate Al Gore rolls out advertising blitz to try to force debate on climate change during the US elections	31st March 2008
Huaneng To Build China's Largest Wind Farm - Paper - Planet Ark BEIJING - China's Huaneng Group will start in June building the country's largest wind farm of 300 megawatts, a Chinese paper said, as the world's second-largest energy user seeks to grow its tiny renewables sector.	31st March 2008
Cities dim lights for environment - BBC News Cities around the world, starting with Sydney, switch off the lights for an hour to highlight climate change. See also: Earth Hour saved at least 5 per cent power: organisers - The West Australian	30th March 2008
Four nations in race to be first to go carbon neutral - Independent It's the race for the greenest of the laurels, the contest for the ultimate ecological accolade. Four countries are competing to be the first of the world's 195 nations to go entirely carbon neutral.	30th March 2008
Air Capture - RealClimate Guest Commentary by Frank Zeman [This is one of an occasional series on the science of mitigation/adaptation/geo-engineering that we hope to continue. Since this isn't our core expertise, we'd especially appreciate balanced contributions from other scientists.] One of the central challenges of controlling anthropogenic climate change is developing technologies that deal with emissions from small, dispersed sources such as automobiles and residential houses. Capturing these emissions is more difficult as they are too small to support infrastructure, such as pipelines, and may be mobile, as with cars. For these reasons, proposed solutions, such as switching to using hydrogen or electricity as a fuel, rely on the carbon-free generation of electricity or hydrogen.	30th March 2008
Carbon tariff on China possible to curb pollution - Toronto Star Countries such as Canada and the United States may start imposing a "carbon tariff" on goods from China and other developing countries which have become the biggest contributors to global greenhouse-gas emissions, CIBC World Markets said Thursday.	29th March 2008
Cities dim lights for environment - BBC News Cities around the world, starting with Sydney, are set to switch off the lights for an hour to highlight climate change. See also: Is one hour long enough? - CNews	29th March 2008
How much will it cost to fix the climate? The numbers vary. - The Christian Science Monitor Even when experts look at the same data, they can come to vastly different conclusions. Robert Repetto, an economics professor at Yale University, recently created a website reviewing 25 of the leading economic models that predict the impacts of cutting greenhouse gases. His conclusion: Strong economic growth would continue even under worst-case assumptions.	27th March 2008
Million acres of Guyanese rainforest to be saved in groundbreaking deal - Independent A deal has been agreed that will place a financial value on rainforests - paying, for the first time, for their upkeep as "utilities" that provide vital services such as rainfall generation, carbon storage and climate regulation.	27th March 2008
Bambi and Nemo are 'unsung heroes of the green lobby' - Guardian Unlimited Disney films played radical role, says Cambridge professor	26th March 2008
Organic crops impressively productive when compared with conventionally grown crops - Science Daily Can organic cropping systems be as productive as conventional systems? The answer is an unqualified, “Yes” for alfalfa or wheat and a qualified “Yes most of the time” for corn and soybeans according to research reported by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and agricultural consulting firm AGSTAT in the March-April 2008 issue of Agronomy Journal. [Why is this about global warming? Because it doesn't need petroleum derived fertilizer.]	26th March 2008
For Carbon Emissions, a Goal of Less Than Zero - New York Times For Carbon Emissions, a Goal of Less Than ZeroNew York Times, United States. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that an 80 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions was necessary to avoid the worst ...	26th March 2008
Quiet revolution - Guardian Jaime Lerner's 'urban revolution' successfully transformed a congested, grimy, crime-ridden city into a world-renowned model of green living and social innovation. London can do it too, he tells Tom Phillips.	26th March 2008
Geothermal energy can cut energy use, greenhouse gases - Daily Local News LONDON GROVE - While you are sitting around waiting for a fuel cell car to be developed for the mass market, there is one technology available right now that can cut energy use and greenhouse gases dramatically.	25th March 2008
Fight climate change by turning roof green - International Herald Tribune To help fight climate change, countries in Europe and North America are installing "green" roofs covered in vegetation and collecting rainwater for household use.	23rd March 2008
Sebelius Vetoes Energy Bill - Forbes Kansas, USA: Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a bill Friday that would allow two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas and strip some power from the regulator who has blocked them. See also: Poof! 132 coal plants disappear - Gristmill	23rd March 2008
Cutting greenhouse emissions will double GDP - The Australian Achieving cuts of 70-90 per cent would be manageable over 40 years and likely to be in Australia's interest	21st March 2008
EU 'committed' to stiff CO2 cuts - BBC News Europe is still committed to ambitious cuts in CO2 emissions, the EU environment chief tells the BBC.	21st March 2008
The man who wants to turn China green - BBC News A profile of millionaire Chinese businessman Zhang Yue, who wants the country to be more environmentally friendly.	20th March 2008
Reducing carbon emissions could help -- not harm -- US economy A national policy to cut carbon emissions by as much as 40 percent over the next 20 years could still result in increased economic growth, according to an interactive website that reviews 25 of the leading economic models used to predict the economic impacts of reducing emissions.	20th March 2008
HSBC commits £100m to renewables - Guardian Unlimited Science environment: Renewable energy projects in public sector get more than £100m of new funding from HSBC	20th March 2008
See-saw to power African schools - BBC News A young inventor has created a see-saw which converts the energy used during child's play into electricity.	19th March 2008
EU gives US airlines green ultimatum - Guardian Unlimited US airlines must pay for carbon emissions or face curb on flights to EU, commissioner warns	14th March 2008
Obama and Clinton plan to cool it - Salon.com Earth, that is. Our energy expert cracks open the Democratic candidates' proposals on global warming -- and is impressed.	14th March 2008
EU threatens to punish climate deal rebels - The Times America and China face trade protection measures from Europe if they fail to join a global climate deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, EU leaders will caution at their summit in Brussels today. Nations that refuse to curb greenhouse gases will be told that they face “appropriate measures” — code for trade sanctions — if they try to gain a competitive advantage by continuing to allow cheap, high-pollution production.	14th March 2008
Why Dealing With Climate Change Won't Bankrupt Us - U.S. News & World Report Expect more tussles over climate cost-benefit analysis ahead, says Daniel Weiss, director of climate strategy at the Center for American Progress. He argues that most cost-benefit studies of global warming solutions will overestimate the costs and underestimate the benefits, because they are incapable of seeing the dynamic technological progress that inevitably will occur in the future. "These studies base their cost assumptions on existing technologies and practices, which means that they do not account for the vast potential for innovation once binding reductions and deadlines are set," he says.	14th March 2008
Indians Gather to Save the Planet - PhysOrg (AP) -- North American Indians assembled in the shadow of ancient Mayan pyramids Monday discussed how their tradition wisdom could help save the planet, and were told that even indigenous cultures have struggled with environmental abuse.	12th March 2008
It's time for provinces to follow B.C. on greenhouse gas emissions - The Globe and Mail Canada: Premier Gordon Campbell has done other provinces a favour: He made the carbon tax look like a winning proposition	11th March 2008
Climate Change Barometer: The Swiss Decide on Global Warming - EcoWorldly Under the Swiss system of direct democracy voters have a right to challenge parliamentary laws or pass constitutional amendments by collecting a minimum of 100,000 signatures to force a ballot. In just 18 months, a coalition of green organizations have collected over 150,000 signatures, enough to force a vote on increasing Switzerland’s current 20% Co2 reduction targets to a slightly more ambitious 30%. The initiative has been so popular that people have reportedly been queuing up to sign the petition. See also: Aussies want urgent action on CO2 - Daily Telegraph	11th March 2008
EU leaders back more greenhouse cuts - Daily Telegraph EUROPEAN Union leaders will call on the EU Commission to draw up a road map for deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions at a summit this week, going beyond a unilateral target agreed in the fight against climate change.	11th March 2008
Southern Baptists Back a Shift on Climate Change - New York Times Signaling a significant departure from the Southern Baptist Convention’s official stance on global warming, 44 Southern Baptist leaders have decided to back a declaration calling for more action on climate change, saying its previous position on the issue was “too timid.”	11th March 2008
How L.A. Was Almost Our Greenest City - Alternet Southern California set the nation on the path to bicycling bliss, then detoured. But smogville could still become a velotopia.	11th March 2008
The power to save Britain - Mark Lynas UK: Our island could be supplying Europe with green electricity. Instead we're lagging behind in the renewables revolution. It may not feel like it on a gusty grey day in Rhyl, but this country is blessed. Take a boat out into the choppy waters off the North Wales coast, and you can see why. Thirty bright white turbines spin continuously just five miles off the coast, producing enough electrical power to supply 40,000 homes with clean, green energy. The wind and waves seem limitless and powerful – and they are.	8th March 2008
Here comes the sun -- again - Gristmill As part of the Back to the Future alternative energy series, The New York Times has an article today about the rising demand for solar thermal power plants, which use solar panels to heat water and operate a steam turbine. Among the advantages cited: On sunny afternoons, those 10 plants would produce as much electricity as three nuclear reactors, but they can be built in as little as two years, compared with a decade or longer for a nuclear plant. Some of the new plants will feature systems that allow them to store heat and generate electricity for hours after sunset.	8th March 2008
Canada Environment Groups Ask Government to Double Carbon Price - Bloomberg.com Canada's government should double the price companies pay to exceed limits on greenhouse gases because the current cost won't slow pollution enough, the country's leading environmental activist groups said.	8th March 2008
Cost of saving planet at $190bln in new book - Khaleej Times What would it cost to wipe out world poverty, guarantee universal health care, stabilise population growth and roll back the ravages of global warming? - About $190 billion a year, or the equivalent of a third of US annual military expenditure, a prominent environmental economist says in a new book.	7th March 2008
Canuck MegaBattery "Cleans Up" Wind Power - DeSmogBlog The trouble with wind is that it's a bit like Adam Sandler's career. Sometimes it blows, and sometimes it doesn't.That's just fine if all you want to do is fly a kite, but if you're an electrical utility seeking a steady supply of carbon-free juice for millions of homes and businesses, the resource needs a Plan B.For one Canadian company, that plan B is "battery."If the deal goes through as expected, next year Richmond, B.C.-based VRB Power Systems will install an enormous "flow battery " in a wind farm at Donegal, Ireland. When the North Atlantic is truly honkin', turbines will feed a steady 32 megawatts of juice into the island's grid while simultaneously charging VRB's battery.The battery itself will be large enough to need its own warehouse.	7th March 2008
Sweden to Accelerate Global Warming Gases Cuts, Minister Says - Bloomberg.com By Jim Efstathiou Jr. March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Sweden will propose a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020 by lowering pollution from cars and raising taxes on carbon-dioxide output, said Maud Olofsson , Sweden's enterprise and energy minister.	6th March 2008
MPs call for rise in green taxes - BBC News The The UK Treasury has "continually demonstrated a lack of ambition and imagination" when it comes to green taxes, a report by MPs has concluded. The Commons Environmental Audit Committee says there is little sign that ministers have acted on the recommendations of the Stern Review. They also call for a rise in air taxes, especially on long-haul flights.	5th March 2008
House Votes to End Big Oil's Tax Breaks - Washington Post Despite Veto Threat, Bill to Boost Renewable Energy Is Sent to Senate The House of Representatives brushed aside threats of a White House veto yesterday and voted 236 to 182 in favor of an $18 billion tax package that would rescind a tax break for the five biggest oil companies and use the revenue to boost incentives for wind and solar energy and energy efficiency.	29th February 2008
Congestion charge 'boosts health' - BBC London's congestion charge may have delivered a small, unexpected health bonus to the capital, say researchers.	29th February 2008
Dramatic jump seen in number of Americans who view political leaders as weak on energy/climate - PR Newswire Strong, Bipartisan Majorities Want Action on Clean Power Agenda; But 72% Now See Leaders As Weak on Energy/Climate Matters ... Compared to Just 57% Before 2004 Election.	29th February 2008
Leading article: People power - The Independent It is possible to detect a climate of scepticism in some quarters towards the idea that ethical consumer pressure can effect real change in our society. Whether the issue is carbon emissions or developing world sweatshops, it is never hard to find someone (and they can be on the left or the right) who will argue that any individual action we take as consumers is pointless and that only intervention at a governmental level can change things. [But on the other hand] No impact from Energy Saving Day - BBC News The UK's first Energy Saving Day ends with no discernible reduction in the country's electricity consumption.	29th February 2008
A Broken Crystal Ball - Center For American Progress Global Warming Solution Studies Will Overestimate Costs, Underestimate Benefits	27th February 2008
US to set 'binding' climate goals - BBC News The US will accept "binding international obligations" on climate if other nations do the same, say officials.	26th February 2008
Carbon tax could generate $50B a year: Suzuki - CTV.ca The David Suzuki Foundation has released a report extolling the virtues of a federal carbon tax -- something that could be returned to taxpayers through income tax cuts.	26th February 2008
Compost can turn agricultural soils into a carbon sink, thus protecting against climate change - EurekAlert! Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, and Singapore (25 February, 2008) – Applying organic fertilizers, such as those resulting from composting, to agricultural land could increase the amount of carbon stored in these soils and contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to new research published in a special issue of Waste Management Research	26th February 2008
Climate protest on Heathrow plane - BBC News Greenpeace activists climb on top of a Boeing aeroplane in a protest at Heathrow. See also: Climate change protestors fined - BBC News	26th February 2008
BOLD ENERGY PLAN TO BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT - Press Release Every year, each square kilometre of hot desert receives solar energy equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil. Multiplying by the area of deserts worldwide, this is several hundred times the entire energy consumption of the world. It is possible to tap in to this cornucopia using the simple proven technique of "concentrating solar power" (CSP): using mirrors to concentrate sunlight to create heat and then using the heat to raise steam to drive turbines and generate electricity, just like a conventional power station. Solar heat can be stored so that electricity generation can continue at night. Using CSP, less than 1% of the world's deserts could generate as much electricity as the world is currently using. And it is feasible and economic to transmit solar electricity for 3000 km or more using highly-efficient 'HVDC' transmission lines. It has been calculated that 90% of the world's population lives within 2700 km of a hot desert and could be supplied with solar electricity from there.	26th February 2008
UN gears up for its first global TV ad - Guardian Unlimited The United Nations has created its first global TV campaign to raise awareness about climate change by promoting the benefits of public transport.	23rd February 2008
Special Coating Greatly Improves Solar Cell Performance Breakthrough in solar energy conversion promises to bring researchers and developers worldwide closer to the goal of producing cheaper, more manufacturable and more easily implemented solar cells. Such technology would greatly reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuels for electricity production as well as reduce the combustion product: carbon dioxide, a global warming greenhouse gas.	23rd February 2008
Energy storage nears its day in the sun - Reuters Energy storage is an unglamorous pillar of an expected revolution to clean up the world's energy supply but will soon vie for investors attention with more alluring sources of energy like solar panels, manufacturers say.	23rd February 2008
BC introduces carbon tax - CNews VICTORIA - Finance Minister Carole Taylor introduced an escalating carbon tax on most fossil fuels Tuesday, one she says is designed to ignite an environmental social movement in British Columbia and across Canada to fight climate change.	20th February 2008
Eliminating fossil fuels is friggin' cheap, pt. 2 - Gristmill My last post argued that based on the figures Scientific American projected for a slow, partial phaseout of fossil fuels, we could do a full, fast, near-total elimination for between 170 and 240 billion dollars a year -- somewhere less than a third, possibly even less than a quarter, of our military budget. I'd like to offer some other comparisons to put those numbers into perspective: We spent $840 billion buying fossil fuels in 2004, according to page 72 of the 2006 Annual Energy Review (10 Meg PDF). So a 95% reduction in U.S.	20th February 2008
24 world cities in 'Earth Hour' black-out: organisers - Raw Story Twenty-four cities around the world will fall into shadow next month as homes and businesses turn off the lights to raise awareness about global warming,	20th February 2008
Capitalism will save planet, experts say - Financial Post "In conversations with other business leaders, I've heard more times than I can count that it's impossible or impractical to make much headway on greenhouse gases until we have better technology," Mr. Darbee said during the panel discussion. "That is not the case. It's a red herring.... The biggest obstacle right now is a lack of will--not invention." Many environmentalists at the summit were pessimistic about prospects for attacking the threat of greenhouse gasses, pointing to the coming surge in energy demand as countries such as China adopt Western habits. Mr. Khosla doesn't share that gloom. He said it's not the first time he has seen widespread skepticism of a looming sea change. In 1996, for example, it was impossible to convince telecom companies that the Internet was important. They also resisted the notion that long-distance calls would be free. "The point is change happens, and it happens quickly," he said. "Technology caused dislocations."	20th February 2008
UK Government Mulls Increasing CO2 Cut Target To 80% By 2050 - Nasdaq LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The U.K. government said Monday it will consider increasing the country's target for cutting carbon dioxide emissions to as much as 80% by 2050, compared with 1990 levels.	19th February 2008
Britain Invests In Waste Digesting Energy Plants - Planet Ark LONDON - Britain is to invest in several anaerobic digestion plants as it seeks to cut emissions of greenhouse gas methane and boost renewable energy production, Farm Minister Hilary Benn said on Monday.	19th February 2008
Eliminating fossil fuels is friggin' cheap - Gristmill USA: A third of our military budget could cure our carbon addiction Scientific American's grand plan to provide a bit over a third of U.S. energy from solar sources provides insight into what it would cost to phase out all or most U.S. greenhouse emissions. Bottom line: a lot less than current military spending. The total cost of the SciAm plan: $420 billion over the course of that 40 years, or slightly over ten billion dollars per year -- less than current fossil fuel subsidies, less than the new subsidies "clean coal" would require. The authors suggest phasing out fossil-fuel powered electricity over the course of forty years, using a solar dominated electricity grid.	18th February 2008
The Other Carbon: Reducing Black Carbon's Role in Global Warming - Wired News A professor at the annual AAAS meeting gives a talk on the role of black carbon, the other carbon, in global climate change. A mere 10% reduction in black carbon would be equivalent to eliminating 25 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions	18th February 2008
Carbon-neutral by 2020: SA Govt plan - Australian Broadcasting Corporation South Australia has announced a scheme it says will give the state the first carbon-neutral government in Australia.	18th February 2008
Efficiency Now Ahead Of US Carbon Rules: Utilities - Planet Ark HOUSTON - US utilities are focusing on energy efficiency to lessen the need to build new power plants while they await what they see as inevitable carbon regulation, executives said at the four-day CERA conference in Houston that ended Friday.	18th February 2008
California's burning ambition - Guardian Unlimited Steered by Schwarzenegger, the Golden State plans to be at the forefront of fighting global warming, reports Juliette Jowit	17th February 2008
Chicago to turn off lights for one hour - PhysOrg Chicago plans to join more than 20 other cities and shut off exterior lights on public buildings for an hour in an effort to raise environmental awareness.	17th February 2008
Sony leads charge against climate change - Guardian Unlimited Sony and other big multinationals today committed themselves to drastically reducing their carbon footprint and urged other businesses to join the fight against global warming. Twelve companies, including Nokia, Nike, and Hewlett-Packard, signed up to the Tokyo declaration, promising to "take all necessary action" to limit the increase in the global average temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.	16th February 2008
Study finds profit in cutting emissions - Financial Times Half the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions needed to make the world safe can be achieved at a net profit to the global economy, a study has found.	15th February 2008
Investment fund giants demand 90% reduction in carbon emissions - Guardian Unlimited Some of the largest institutional investors in the world yesterday called on the US Congress to introduce a mandatory national policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% below 1990 levels by 2050. It is the latest move that underlines the way business leaders have dramatically seized the environmental agenda and are now pushing politicians to tackle global warming. The group of 40 investors, which includes F&C Asset Management in London and controls $1.5tr (£760bn) worth of funds, also wants the financial regulator, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to insist that companies listed in New York and elsewhere disclose their exposure to climate change risk.	15th February 2008
Climate mobilization: suddenly a dam breaks Bill Pfeiffer, Sacred Earh Network. Interview with climate scientist Susanne Moser: "A dam works well and for a long time, until one day it breaks. A social movement builds slowly and quietly, until one day it takes off and major political changes become possible. We're witnessing the building of such a climate protection movement right now."	15th February 2008
Five-seat concept car runs on air - BBC News A French engineer promises that he will start selling a car that runs on compressed air within a year.	14th February 2008
America's Sportsmen Target Global Warming - All American Patriots More than 670 hunting and fishing organizations from all 50 states, representing the millions of Americans who share America’s sporting tradition, are urging their U.S. Senators and Representatives to target global warming with strong climate legislation.	14th February 2008
Family cars among 'gas guzzlers' - BBC News If you think the new £25 charge for driving in London is just for 4x4s and Porsches, think again.	14th February 2008
Senate passes measure on emissions labeling program - KAJ Kalispell Associated Press - February 13, 2008 8:05 PM ET OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Senate today passed ameasure requiring the Department of Ecology to develop a greenhouse gas emissions disclosure...	14th February 2008
Canadian Province Enlists Trees In Climate Fight - Planet Ark VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Canada's westernmost province plans to recruit its vast forests to help in the battle against climate change, with the goal of no net deforestation by 2015, British Columbia said Tuesday.	14th February 2008
Pressure builds for global battle plan on climate change - Reuters AlertNet Just how big a threat to the world is climate change? Listening in to a press conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, you'd have heard British billionaire businessman Richard Branson describing it as "a crisis that is bigger than World War I and II combined". Or New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg emphasising, "This is just as important as stopping nuclear proliferation. This is just as important as stopping terrorism." The sociologist Ulrich Beck argues that huge global risks like climate change are so different from what we've experienced so far, it's more accurate to describe them as "unknown unknowns". Whatever your favourite soundbite, there are signs that we're finally reaching the point where we no longer need international celebrities and politicians to scare us into realising how bad things could get.	13th February 2008
Cities: A Smart Alternative to Cars - BusinessWeek Creating compact communities—and eliminating the need to drive everywhere - may be the best way to slash greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles See also: A climate for old men: Spearheading transit for livable cities at 93> - Gristmill	12th February 2008
EU Cities Commit to Climate Package, But Challenges Lay Ahead - Deutsche Welle Fighting global warming can happen one city at a time. This is the belief of those who signed up to the EU's new climate package. Now, those cities who pledged to slash their CO2 are facing the reality of their promise.	12th February 2008
Air district wants thousands of firms to pay fees based on greenhouse gases - Contra Costa Times In the first such program in California, and perhaps the United States, Bay Area air pollution regulators are proposing to charge an annual fee to thousands of businesses based on the amount of greenhouse gases they emit. The fee -- 4.2 cents per metric ton of carbon dioxide -- would affect everything from oil refineries to power plants, and landfills, factories and small businesses such as restaurants or bakeries.	11th February 2008
New Zealand can't become carbon neutral? - Scoop.co.nz The ideas that New Zealand cannot become carbon neutral and that carbon trading will push up the cost of pastoral farming are both total nonsense, according to farm business sustainability specialist Peter Floyd.	11th February 2008
City's two-wheel transformation - Guardian Unlimited Livingstone's £400m plan maps out 12 bicycle 'motorways' At a cost of £400m, the 12 routes are intended to be the motorways of cycling and are likely to be emulated by other cities across the UK. Londoners without bikes will be able to use one of the city's free bicycles.	9th February 2008
Why the World Needs the Youth Vote - TIME In the 1960s and early '70s, civil rights and the Vietnam War were the defining issues on college campuses. In the 1980s, it was apartheid. Today, that issue is climate change — or at least it will be, if Eban Goodstein has anything to do about it.	9th February 2008
Sea change for energy generation - BBC News A new date has been picked to install the world's first turbine to create commercial amounts of electricity.	9th February 2008
UK prepares new standard on carbon emissions - Food Production Daily CCFRA , the largest membership-based food and drink research centre in the world, is participating in the development and testing of the new standard in response to growing concerns about carbon emissions.	5th February 2008
Climate protesters plan campaign of direct action against UK polluters Climate change protesters have made plans for a nationwide campaign of direct action against greenhouse gas polluters across the UK. They warn that the campaign is set to become "more urgent" in the face of mounting evidence of growing environmental damage.	4th February 2008
Ken Livingstone revisits £25 congestion charge - Guardian Unlimited Ken Livingstone is stepping up his campaign to charge polluting 4x4s with a £25-a-day congestion charge in London	1st February 2008
Villagers reduce carbon footprint - BBC News A Derbyshire village cuts its carbon footprint by nearly 50% in one year, a district council says.	1st February 2008
Third largest wind farm approved - BBC News A 68-turbine wind farm in Perthshire is given the go-ahead by Scottish Government ministers.	1st February 2008
Manchester's plans for a low-carbon city of the future - Guardian Unlimited Manchester city council is embarking on an ambitious plan to tackle global warming by controlling all aspects of the city's energy supply by 2020. Helen Carter reports	1st February 2008
Aerogenerator turbine sets sail for a greener future - Guardian Unlimited Is a wind turbine that looks like a giant rotary washing line the answer to the UK's renewable energy prayers?	31st January 2008
Climate Plans by New York, Florida Prod US on Global Accord - Bloomberg President George W. Bush is pressing allies in Europe for a global warming agreement based on voluntary targets for pollution reduction. State officials in the U.S. have already left him behind. Twenty-two U.S. states with about 145 million people are exploring mandatory carbon-dioxide caps and emission-credit markets similar to one in the European Union. The proposals are pressuring Congress to pass legislation that would supersede the state and regional programs with a single national plan.	31st January 2008
No Hair Shirt Solutions to Global Warming: Now available free online! - Gristmill As the climate crisis grows worse, many people question whether we can phase out human greenhouse-gas emissions before an irreversible feedback cycle begins. As a belated New Year's present for 2008, I want to offer for free the full text of my book Cooling It! No Hair Shirt Solutions to Global Warming, to increase optimism. We not only have the technical capability to phase out fossil fuels over the course of 30 years, we can eliminate 94 percent of emissions within 20. The cost is close to zero: between savings from efficiency and renewable sources that are more expensive than fossil fuels (but not that much more expensive), the market cost will balance out to around what we pay now.	30th January 2008
To capture CO2, just add calcium silicate - vnunet.com Dr Paula Carey of UK start up Carbon 8 Systems explains how an innovative new carbon capture technology built around a simple chemical process has the potential to cut carbon emissions from waste incinerators and save businesses money	30th January 2008
Big green ideas for the workplace - Guardian Unlimited If you are an eco-warrior at heart and really want to make a difference, then in many ways the workplace is actually your best chance. Adharanand Finn shows you how	29th January 2008
Green groups rally against oil sands development - Globe and Mail An environmental group that successfully shifted the buying power of Victoria's Secret, Home Depot and Staples in a campaign to protect British Columbia's old-growth forests has now turned its attention to Alberta's northern oil industry. "There is no question the marketplace is starting to wake up to how dirty oil from the tar sands is," Tzeporah Berman, program director for an environmental group called ForestEthics, said yesterday in an interview.	29th January 2008
Transport - Jan 28 - Energy Bulletin Nissan exec: Car culture is fading	29th January 2008
A green light for "green" tariffs? - Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance New Study Scrutinizes How International Trade Rules May Impact Limits on Carbon Emissions. Are efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions under agreements like the Kyoto Protocol compatible with World Trade Organization rules? As Congress and many European policy makers weigh the imposition of "green" border taxes to punish more carbon-intensive products from abroad, a new report by a leading industry group raises troubling questions about WTO rules and jurisprudence and their ...	26th January 2008
Dung-powered power plant unveiled - BBC News A Devon farmer announces plans to build a huge biogas plant at Rackenford, near Tiverton.	26th January 2008
B.C. to set up climate-change institute with $94.5-million endowment - CNews VANCOUVER - The B.C. government wants to spend $94.5 million to set up a Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions to spark ideas for adapting to climate change and lessen its effects.	26th January 2008
World Leaders Fortify Commitments to Environment - Environment News Service DAVOS, Switzerland , January 25, 2008 (ENS) - Economic, scientific, and political leaders and entertainers pledged hundreds of millions of dollars and moral support to environmental causes ranging from clean water and climate change to a modern green farming revolution as the World Economic Forum wound up its annual meeting in Davos today.	26th January 2008
Under pressure - Gristmill U.S. failure to enact limits on global warming emissions could cost American companies that export to the European Union. E.U. President Jose Manuel Barroso on Sunday said the European Commission is considering a charge on importers from nations without carbon limits. Companies from those countries may be required to buy carbon emissions allowances on exports into the E.U. This is intended to level the playing field with European companies who are already part of the European Emissions Trading System instituted to meet E.U. obligations under the Kyoto climate treaty. See also:EU threatens trade partners over global warming - TODAYonline	24th January 2008
Severn barrage details unveiled - BBC Details of a feasibility study into the Severn Barrage, a tidal power plan that could provide about 5% of UK electricity, are announced.	23rd January 2008
Barroso trade threat on climate - BBC The European Commission president threatens to impose carbon tariffs if the US fails to agree to a climate deal. [Predictably] US warns EU against protectionism - BBC News US trade representative Susan Schwab tells Europe climate change is no excuse for barriers to trade.	22nd January 2008
The hybrid solar home - GristMill Seattle is having a cold snap. It's 25 degrees outside. Our rare freezing winter days correspond with equally rare clear winter skies. Days like this make me wish I had a solar powered home that could harvest and store that free burst of energy for later use. The bottom line is that American homes are just too large to be cost effectively heated with solar energy. The push has been to get the cost of solar panels down. But, what would you get if you crossed an expensive solar heating and cooling system with an optimally sized home? By optimal, I mean not larger than you need.	22nd January 2008
Stricter System to Trim Carbon Emissions Is Considered in Europe - New York Times European Union officials this week will aim to reduce corporate influence and make polluting more expensive.	22nd January 2008
Desert state channels oil wealth into world's first sustainable city - Guardian Unlimited Lord Foster designs car-free, solar-powered project for 50,000 people on outskirts of Abu Dhabi	22nd January 2008
World's Largest Offshore Wind Energy Turbine To Be Developed In North England - Centre Daily Times California energy giant Clipper Windpower, Plc (www.clipperwind.com) has chosen Blyth, Northumberland in the United Kingdom as the site for a new generation of offshore wind turbines, North England Inward Investment Agency (NEIIA) has announced. Called the "Britannia Project," the $65 million development program advances Clipper turbine technology to a 7.5 MW wind turbine scale which will be among the largest and most powerful offshore turbines in the world. With a 30-year design life, it will generate electricity equivalent of one million barrels of oil.	22nd January 2008
EU's green targets may force UK to increase renewables fivefold - Guardian Unlimited Britain could be forced to quintuple the energy it takes from renewable sources to 15% by 2020 from 3% or less, under tough new green targets to be set out by the European commission	21st January 2008
Carbon Disclosure Project to assess world business CO2 footprint - TODAYonline The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a consortium of 315 top institutional investors assessing industries about their CO2 emissions, has announced a new partnership to extend its global initiative to companies and suppliers.	21st January 2008
We have lift-off - Guardian Unlimited UK: You know something strange is afoot when four politicians from conflicting corners of the political spectrum find themselves in agreement, and even more so when it comes in the middle of a hard fought mayoral campaign. Yesterday, instead of spending their energy fighting each other for the support of Londoners, all four candidates - representing Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems and the Greens - have joined forces to fight the expansion of Heathrow. In an advert published this morning in several newspapers Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson, Brian Paddick and Sian Berry slam the government's plan to almost double the number of flights in and out of Heathrow. And they're not alone in their opposition. A recent opinion poll showed that over 70% of people are opposed to aviation expansion.	20th January 2008
Adjustments to Agriculture May Help Mitigate Global Warming - Environmental News Network The report calls for more precise application of fertilizer, in appropriate amounts, to reduce excessive GHG emissions and pollution of water resources. Other recommendations include cutting the global demand for meat to decrease both the amount of methane-producing animals raised and the area of land cleared for them; growing cover crops to help soils be better carbon sinks; and keeping rice paddies dry in the off-season to reduce methane emissions.	20th January 2008
Coal is no longer on front burner - Los Angeles Times The rush to build power plants slows as worries grow over global warming, building costs and transportation. America's headlong rush to tap its enormous coal reserves for electricity has slowed abruptly, with more than 50 proposed coal-fired power plants in 20 states canceled or delayed in 2007 because of concerns about climate change, construction costs and transportation problems. [But on the other hand...] Big Coal Spending $35 Million to Gut Candidates' Climate Positions - DeSmogBlog A group backed by the coal industry and its utility allies is waging a $35 million campaign in primary and caucus states to rally public support for coal-fired electricity and to fuel opposition to legislation that Congress is crafting to slow climate change. Americans for Balanced Energy Choices National Mining Association Sen. Harry Reid	19th January 2008
DEVELOPMENT: "Plan B" Urges 80 Percent CO2 Cuts - IPS Imagine it's a glorious new era and everything you'll do as part of your normal day helps to stabilise the climate and the global population, eradicate poverty, and restore the earth's damaged ecosystems. Sound unrealistic? It better not be because that is what it will take to prevent the end of human society as we know it, according to a new book, "Plan B 3.0: Mobilising to Save Civilisation". The crisis we face is both dire and urgent, requiring a transformative effort like the mobilisation of nations during World War II, says author Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, an environmental think tank in Washington. "Saving civilisation is not a spectator sport," says Brown. "We have reached a point in the deteriorating relationship between us and the earth's natural systems where we all have to become political activists."   Speed is essential, however. Humanity is crossing natural thresholds and triggering feedbacks that may not be reversible, such as the melting of the world's glaciers and polar regions. "We can all make lifestyle changes, but unless we restructure the economy and do it quickly, we will almost certainly fail," says Brown. "Time is our scarcest resource."	18th January 2008
Norway says aims to go carbon neutral by 2030 - Guardian Unlimited Norway, which last year set what it called the world's most ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, said on Thursday it aimed to go "carbon neutral" in 2030, which is 20 years earlier than its previous target.	18th January 2008
Tailwind for Cape Wind - Boston Globe IN 2001, when Cape Wind first proposed its 130-turbine project for Nantucket Sound, oil cost $20 a barrel and natural gas cost $3 for a million cubic feet. Now oil is close to $100, and gas is $10. More important, scientists have estimated that global warming is happening at a quicker pace than they had believed seven years ago. All of this makes more timely than ever the green light that Cape Wind got yesterday from the US Interior Department's Minerals Management Service.	16th January 2008
EU considers banning the import of certain fuel crops - International Herald Tribune European officials proposed banning certain fuel crops whose production could do more harm than good in fighting climate change.	15th January 2008
CO2 Trading To Have Marginal Impact On EU Competition-UK Body - Nasdaq LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme will have a " marginal" impact on competitiveness of E.U. industry, even if deeper carbon dioxide emission cutbacks are introduced after 2012, the U.K. government funded body the Carbon Trust said in a report Tuesday.	15th January 2008
In warming Mediterranean, a model of energy-efficient building - The Christian Science Monitor In Athens, Sol Energy Hellas is headquartered in a building powered entirely by renewable energy.	14th January 2008
The Extreme - plug-in Hybrid: no breakthrough needed! - Gristmill By Joseph Romm Here is the plug-in hybrid I test drove a few weeks ago, the Extreme Hybrid by AFS Trinity: I will be running a long article Wednesday on the climate implications of plug-ins in general and this car in particular. But you can read all about the car at this exclusive New York Times piece published today and the AFS Trinity website, which has a YouTube video of me driving the car and discussing why it matters: This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.	14th January 2008
EU workers call for tax on imports from countries not tackling climate change - PR-Inside.com European trade unions called Tuesday for a tax on imports from countries that refuse to fight the carbon emissions that cause global warming, saying it was needed to protect thousands of jobs. The European Trade Union Confederation said a carbon tax would be the only fair way to keep jobs in Europe	14th January 2008
Grow your own way: How to join the allotment in-crowd - The Independent The plot is thickening as more people, of all ages, cultivate their own cabbages to fight global warming. Tom McTague looks at the benefits and the costs	13th January 2008
Sweet, sweet monopsony - Gristmill Wal-Mart is giving its electronics suppliers a scorecard on which they can rate their products on green qualities like durability and ease of recycling. That's tricky, of course, given the lack of a national standards for such things -- so it's pushing for that, too. Given Wal-Mart's size, I won't be surprised if it single-handedly forces the issue. But still, um, evil bad awful satan!	13th January 2008
Feeling the Heat: Berkeley Researchers Make Thermoelectric Breakthrough in Silicon Nanowires - Physorg Energy now lost as heat during the production of electricity could be harnessed through the use of silicon nanowires synthesized via a technique developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy`s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley. The far-ranging potential applications of this technology include DOE`s hydrogen fuel cell-powered “Freedom CAR,” and personal power-jackets that could use heat from the human body to recharge cell-phones and other electronic devices.	11th January 2008
Pressure on banks to reveal climate strategies hotting up - FinancialWeek Climate change appears to be a major concern among banks—assuming those banks are in Europe or Asia. A new study, conducted by environmental investor group Ceres and investor research firm RiskMetrics, has found that non-U.S. banks are increasingly disclosing risks related to climate change in their public disclosures.	11th January 2008
Solar Cells Can Take the Heat - Physorg Solar cells have attracted global attention as one of the cornerstones of alternative energy. In theory, it seems to make abundant sense to tap into the energy of the sun to convert light to electricity with little or no emission of noxious pollutants.	10th January 2008
The future is ... less far in the future - Gristmill Via SolveClimate, the latest whiz-bang new gonna-change-the-world solar technology: nanoantennas! Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory, along with partners at Microcontinuum Inc. (Cambridge, MA) and Patrick Pinhero of the University of Missouri, are developing a novel way to collect energy from the sun with a technology that could potentially cost pennies a yard, be imprinted on flexible materials and still draw energy after the sun has set. The new approach, which garnered two 2007 Nano50 awards, uses a special manufacturing process to stamp tiny square spirals of conducting metal onto a sheet of plastic. Each interlocking spiral "nanoantenna" is as wide as 1/25 the diameter of a human hair. Because of their size, the nanoantennas absorb energy in the infrared part of the spectrum, just outside the range of what is visible to the eye. The sun radiates a lot of infrared energy, some of which is soaked up by the earth and later released as radiation for hours after sunset. Nanoantennas can take in energy from both sunlight and the earth's heat, with higher efficiency than conventional solar cells.	10th January 2008
Backin' the saddle again - Gristmill By Katharine WrothBike to store. Pick up free bike trailer. Fill trailer with groceries. Hitch it up and ride home. Return trailer within three days. That's the dreamy concept at the Waitrose supermarket chain in Jolly Olde Englande, where the free-trailer scheme is being tried out at a handful of stores. Says a department manager, "There are 60 to 70 bikes outside the shop every lunchtime, so there's a definite market for it. If we can encourage just a few people to cycle rather than using their car, then we'll be making a difference." Let's hear it for innovation!	10th January 2008
Montana joins B.C., Manitoba, 6 other states in regional climate initiative - CNews HELENA, Mont. - The state of Montana is now part of a Canadian-U.S. regional compact targeting global warming. The Western Regional Climate Action Initiative - formed early last year - already includes the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.	10th January 2008
Report predicts green tech wave - BBC News A report claims investment in creating a sustainable global economy is rising rapidly.	10th January 2008
Grass biofuels 'cut CO2 by 94%' - BBC Producing biofuels from a fast-growing grass emits up to 94% less carbon dioxide than petrol, a US study finds.	9th January 2008
Taking Germany 100 percent renewable - Gristmill German scientists develop Combined Power Plant. The Combined Renewable Energy Power Plant shows how, through joint control of small and decentralised plants, it is possible to provide reliable electricity in accordance with needs. The Combined Power Plant optimally combines the advantages of various renewable energy sources. Wind turbines and solar modules help generate electricity in accordance with how much wind and sun is available. Biogas and hydropower are used to make up the difference: they are converted into electricity as needed in order to balance out short-term fluctuations, or are temporarily stored. Technically, there is nothing preventing us from 100 per cent provision with renewables.	9th January 2008
A solar grand plan - Gristmill A roadmap to getting 70 percent of U.S. electricity from solar by 2050	9th January 2008
Carbon tax in the cards to help cut emissions - The Globe and Mail OTTAWA - A federal advisory panel will unveil a long-term climate-change strategy Monday that is expected to back the idea of a carbon tax aimed at substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, The Globe and Mail has learned.	8th January 2008
Energy islands could use power of tropics, says innovator - Guardian Unlimited Architect of Cameron's green makeover launches ambitious new plan	8th January 2008
EU considers carbon tariff - Environmental News Network LONDON (Reuters) - The European Commission is debating whether to push for a carbon tariff on imports from countries that do not tackle their greenhouse gas emissions, as part of climate change proposals due out this month.	6th January 2008
Soaring price oils wheels for green power - Guardian Unlimited Renewable energy investors are in the driver's seat as oil hits $100 a barrel, writes Tim Webb	6th January 2008
"Sue and sue and sue" for emissions standards - Seattle Times Washington lined up with California and 14 other states to force the U.S. government out of its unfathomable foot-dragging on improving vehicle-emissions standards.	6th January 2008
Plan B -- How to Stop Global Warming - Time Magazine Environmentalist and author Lester Brown lays out a robust plan for curbing climate change. Getting the world's politicians to buy it, however, is another question	5th January 2008
Scientists Use Sunlight to Make Fuel From CO2 - Wired News Sandia National Laboratories' "Sunshine to Petrol" project uses solar energy to recycle carbon dioxide and recover the building blocks of hydrocarbons, which can then be used to synthesize fuels like methanol and gasoline.	5th January 2008
Paying the Cost of Climate Control - New York Times Blogs Peter Barnes, a founder of Working Assets, the fund making “socially responsible” investments, has long studied various bills and proposals for cutting emissions of carbon dioxide to limit global warming. He sees fatal flaws in every one. So he has come up with a new formula that he says uniquely addresses the most inconvenient truth about climate policy: It will be expensive. As he put it recently: “Fighting climate change is going to cost all of us money. That’s because the price of dumping carbon into the atmosphere must, necessarily, rise. Whether the price rise is prompted by a tax or a cap makes no difference — we will all pay more.” He proposes a “cap and dividend” system that charges a rising fee on sources of greenhouse-gas emissions (to propel a long-term shift away from such pollution) and returns the revenue to citizens, rich or poor, through a direct payment not unlike the checks that Alaska residents get every year from fees paid to the state by oil companies.	3rd January 2008
Alt energy boom - Canadian Business Two new reports make it official: The alternative energy boom is officially on.	3rd January 2008
Milan introduces traffic charge - BBC News Italy's first traffic charge is launched in Milan in an attempt to reduce congestion and pollution levels.	3rd January 2008
Survey says ... - GristMill By Sean CastenITwo thirds of likely caucus voters in Iowa think conservation more important than coal	3rd January 2008
California sues EPA over greenhouse gas regulations - San Francisco Chronicle California sued the federal government Wednesday in its ongoing bid to set the country's first greenhouse gas limits on cars, trucks and SUVs, providing new data to show its program is superior to a federal plan. The lawsuit filed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asks the federal Environmental Protection Agency to review its own decision last month to deny California a waiver it and 16 other states need to regulate greenhouse gases from new cars and trucks. See also: Fifteen US States Sue EPA Over Auto Emissions - Planet Ark	3rd January 2008
Giant sail technology could make shipping greener - Guardian Unlimited One of the first cargo ships in 100 years to cross the Atlantic with the help of the wind will set off from European shores	2nd January 2008
Orangutan Plan To Curb Carbon Emissions - Science Daily Indonesia's new 10 year action plan for conserving orangutans will have important benefits in mitigating climate change. Deforestation, for timber, pulp and palm oil plantations, have pushed Indonesia into the status of being a major carbon emitter, while threatening globally significant wildlife populations.	2nd January 2008
Climate focus as Japan heads G8 - BBC News Japan aims to put global warming top of the agenda as it takes over the chairmanship of the G8.	1st January 2008
Japan to back targets for new climate deal - Adelaide Now JAPAN will accept numerical targets to cut global warming emissions in a new climate change pact, reversing its stance which came under fire at this month's UN-led talks over the deal, a newspaper reported.	31st December 2007
ENERGY: German Biodiesel Forced to Compete BERLIN, Dec 29 (IPS/IFEJ) - Until a few months ago, the production of crop-based fuels was the best energy business imaginable in Germany, thanks to growing demand supported by the government. That's no longer the case.As of Jan. 1, 2008, the German government will receive nine cents on the dollar per litre of biodiesel. That tax will increase to more than 65 cents on the dollar in 2012. The tax exemption and subsidies for biofuels represented nearly three billion dollars in 2006. Because the new taxes imply an increase in the price, biodiesel will lose its ability to compete with fossil fuels, prompting predictions of a decline in demand. "Maintaining the tax exemptions for plant-based fuels doesn't make sense," said Dautzenberg in an interview for this article. What's more, the environmental benefits of biofuels compared to petroleum-based fuels are increasingly challenged by scientists and activists. A study by the Hamburg Environmental Institute presented Nov. 26 concludes that the reduction of greenhouse-effect gases from the use of biofuels is negligible.	31st December 2007
New efficient bulb sees the light - BBC News A new super-efficient light bulb could spell the end of regular ones, Glasgow scientists claim.	29th December 2007
Panels start solar power revolution - Guardian Unlimited The holy grail of renewable energy came a step closer yesterday as thousands of mass-produced wafer-thin solar cells printed on aluminium film rolled off a production line in California, heralding what British scientists called "a revolution" in generating electricity.	29th December 2007
Sheila Watt-Cloutier - Globe and Mail This week, as a prelude to Saturday's announcement of The Globe's Nation Builder of 2007, we introduce the four other finalists/runners-up who have made a major contribution to Canadian society. Today, we profile Inuit environmentalist Sheila Watt-Cloutier.	29th December 2007
Prince Charles to Work With Norway to Save Forests - Planet Ark OSLO - Britain's Prince Charles has offered to team up with Norway in projects to save forests around the world, Norwegian officials said on Thursday.